OpenAI is reportedly discussing a proposal to grant the US government a 5% stake, with the OpenAI government stake idea aiming to let Americans share in future AI-driven economic gains.
SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI is reportedly exploring an unusual proposal that could see the United States government become a shareholder in the artificial intelligence company. According to the Financial Times, the OpenAI government stake proposal would involve granting the government a 5% equity holding through a public investment vehicle inspired by sovereign wealth funds. The discussions remain at an early stage and no formal agreement has been announced.
Based on OpenAI’s reported valuation of approximately $852 billion, a 5% holding would be worth around $42.6 billion. Chief Executive Sam Altman has reportedly suggested that such a structure could provide a better alternative to introducing new AI-specific taxes. Instead, the value created by advanced artificial intelligence could be shared more directly with the public over the long term through investment returns.
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The proposal reportedly takes inspiration from the Alaska Permanent Fund, which invests state oil revenues and distributes annual dividends to eligible residents. Under OpenAI’s concept, equity contributions from major AI developers could be placed into a Public Wealth Fund. Returns generated from those investments could eventually be distributed through dividends, future public offerings or another mechanism that has yet to be defined.
Reports also suggest that OpenAI believes other leading American AI companies, including Google, Meta, Anthropic and xAI, could potentially participate in a similar framework. Such an approach could establish a wider industry model designed to ensure that the economic benefits of artificial intelligence extend beyond private investors. However, there is no indication that those companies have agreed to any such arrangement.
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The reported discussions come as AI developers face growing scrutiny from Washington over national security, market concentration and the broader economic impact of increasingly capable AI systems. OpenAI has been working more closely with US officials on frontier AI oversight, and the OpenAI government stake proposal is seen as one possible way to demonstrate broader public participation in AI-generated wealth.
Several important questions remain unresolved. It is unclear whether any government ownership would include voting rights, how returns would ultimately be distributed, or whether the equity would be transferred immediately or only after future milestones such as a public listing. Any arrangement would almost certainly require approval from the US Congress before it could move forward. Both OpenAI and the White House have not announced any agreement, with discussions described as preliminary.
